For all of the success in the early years of the Adrian College men's hockey program, only a select few things have eluded head coach Ron Fogarty and the Bulldogs.

The title of No. 1 team in the nation is no longer one of them.

On Monday, U.S. College Hockey Online ranked Adrian College first in its NCAA Division III poll after former No. 1 Plattsburgh State lost over the weekend. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 for the first time in the program's seven-year history.

And for such a big moment for the program, Fogarty is taking it all in stride.

"It's a great feeling to be recognized," Fogarty said. "I always say that every time you step out on the ice you strive to be the best you can be. The one thing that's tangible is that we have the best record in the nation, and that's something from preparation and hard work from our guys."

For Adrian, the feeling of being the hunted and no longer the hunters will be something new.

"You want to have that intensity and preparedness all the way through," Fogarty said. "Teams are going to be gunning for you even more, and teams want to be the first one to put a loss in that column against us."

The Bulldogs boast a 12-0-1 record while competing in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association, one of the stronger conferences in the country.

Adrian has the nation's best scoring defense, allowing 1.23 goals per game, and the third-best scoring offense at 4.85 goals per game. Just for good measure, the Bulldogs also have penalty-kill and power-play units that rank in the top 15 nationally.

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment has been winning conference regular-season championships the last six years, during which Adrian has qualified for the NCAA tournament three times. According to Fogarty, the secret is "just recruiting", something that a No. 1 ranking will only make easier.

"We're making sure we get the players that fit our profile of what we're looking for," Fogarty said. "And not being afraid to make changes in midstream.

"We're not afraid to change systems midway through. If things aren't working, we change it right away and don't wait. We're still waiting to find the mystery piece of the puzzle and be a national champion."

The Bulldogs have found success with a two-goalie system, including James Hamby, who is ranked third in Division III in goals-against average (1.24) and second in save percentage (.949). Fellow netminder Scott Shackell has a 1.18 goals-against average in five games since returning to the lineup.

The difference between previous years, like 2011 when Adrian finished runner-up, and this season is the strength of the defense, according to Fogarty.

"We changed up our defensive systems this year and we're better," Fogarty said. "We have a defenseman corps that has been around the system, and two junior goaltenders that could play in Division I."

Page 2 of 2 - In his time at Adrian, Fogarty has recruited defensemen that are more mobile in order to track pucks and close gaps quickly, as opposed to big, physical forces.

Adrian's best defensemen are the ones "we don't notice in the game" as Fogarty says.

The Bulldogs might not change much about their offense, including the nation's leading goal scorer in junior forward Josh Ranalli, whose 16 goals are four better than second place. But more impressive might be the team's ability to share with three members in the top 10 in assists.

Adrian appears poised for a run at its first national championship in program history, one of the other few things Fogarty has been unable to cross off the list.

"Well, our odds are 1 in 71, I guess," Fogarty joked. "The best thing about this team is they're not worried about that. It's about St. Olaf, who's next this week.